


What's A God To A Dog

by angelic_shapeshifter



Category: Naruto
Genre: Other, Trans Character, Trans Hatake Kakashi, Trans Inuzuka Kiba, Trans Namikaze Minato, Trans Uzumaki Naruto, bc it starts with naruto's birthday and uh. lotta death happens on that day, kakashi is tsume's cousin, many many trans characters, technically there is major character death but it's already over when the story starts, tsume is a great mom, why not have Many
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-09-07 20:53:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20315845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelic_shapeshifter/pseuds/angelic_shapeshifter
Summary: “What’s the news?” Tsume asked, taking her place on his other side.He patted the bundle in his arms, eye gazing at something very far away. “Lord Fourth and Lady Kushina are dead.”A thousand shards of ice invaded Tsume’s bloodstream.Kakashi took a breath. “Before she died, Kushina gave birth. I told Lord Third, who will be reassuming the Hokage seat tomorrow, that you were nursing and would be able to take another kid, at least for awhile.” He unwrapped the top of the bundle, allowing his cousins to see the face of a sleeping baby. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, of course.”Hana reached for the baby, pushing more of the blanket away. Lines scored down its cheeks, marking it as the child of the nine-tails jinchuriki. More of the blanket fell away, and it became evident that it wore no clothes. The only thing on its chest was a smear of dried blood.





	1. The Night She Came Into The Home

Tsume Inuzuka waited in the living room. Her daughter sat to her side on the couch holding her baby sister. They had all been out, Hana at her side with Kiba in a sling, dogs leading the way as they searched and rescued. An ANBU showed up and told her to go home, so she took her kids and let the dogs continue. And they waited.

At 10:30 Tsume told Hana to put Kiba down and go to sleep, and she obeyed half those instructions. Tsume stroked her hair in silent acceptance. Her daughter had a good heart, not letting her mom face whatever the night had for her alone.

By 10:40 the nine tailed fox was gone and they prayed to know what that meant.

At 10:45 the first of the dogs returned, with word that the others were not far behind. Kuromaru would stay out all night, most likely.

At 10:53 someone knocked on the door. Tsume stood up to answer it, and though she remained on the couch, Hana perched ready to attack.

Kakashi stood on her stoop, seemingly alone and holding a warm bundle of something bloody-smelling.

“Kakashi,” she greeted, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Auntie. It’s good to see you and Hana are too. How about Kiba, and the dogs?”

“Kiba’s asleep, and the hounds are out on damage control. I’d say the Hokage’s hounds are too, huh?” She ushered him inside and glared at the darkness behind him. She knew ANBU had followed him, and she wanted them off her lawn.

Hana looked pleased to see him. He sat close to her, allowing her to hug him to make sure he was real. Four year olds sometimes had those thoughts after tragedies, that they could not quite believe what they see.

“What’s the news?” Tsume asked, taking her place on his other side.

He patted the bundle in his arms, eye gazing at something very far away. “Lord Fourth and Lady Kushina are dead.”

A thousand shards of ice invaded Tsume’s bloodstream. She had known it, she knew Kushina couldn’t live without the nine-tails but she held onto the hope that it was restored to her. She would never see Kushina again.

The dog whimpered, and rubbed his head against Hana’s legs. Tears rolled down Hana’s face. Even as young as she was she knew about death, because every day around her people left their houses and never came back. Her uncle and aunt had just been added to that number. Tsume walked around to pick her up and place her on her lap, kissing her forehead and hugging her tightly. She rubbed Kakashi’s back, though she knew he wouldn’t grieve in front of them.

He took a breath. “Before she died, Kushina gave birth. I told Lord Third, who will be reassuming the Hokage seat tomorrow, that you were nursing and would be able to take another kid, at least for awhile.” He unwrapped the top of the bundle, allowing his cousins to see the face of a sleeping baby. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, of course.”

Hana reached for the baby, pushing more of the blanket away. Lines scored down its cheeks, marking it as the child of the nine-tails jinchuriki. More of the blanket fell away, and it became evident that it wore no clothes. The only thing on its chest was a smear of dried blood.

Tsume patted Hana’s back. “Go get a diaper and the smallest set of Kiba’s clothes you can find.” She turned back to Kakashi. “Can I see the kid?” Kakashi looked at her, because she could, but she would have to get it herself. Kakashi could do a lot of things, but he did not trust himself enough to hand a newborn sideways to a mother.

Sensing this, Tsume expertly took the baby into her arms. The rest of the blanket fell away, revealing a black spiral of what looked like ink on the child’s stomach. Tsume ran her fingers over it, like it would come off, like it was an illusion she could dispel. “She’s…”

“The next jinchuriki,” Kakashi finished.

Tsume curled over the tiny body as if she's been punched in the gut. She wouldn’t cry, she doesn’t cry in front of kids. “How could they do this to you,” she forced out of her strangled throat.

Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder. “Minato-sensei did it. Th-she used a death reaper seal so she could die with half the nine-tails’ spirit and Naruto would have half, I guess so that if she wanted to have kids the future the damage wouldn’t be as bad, because Minato _would_ protect the village even if she died—“ Kakashi’s mask shifted in a way that indicated biting his bottom lip. He could sense Tsume’s quizzical look. “Don’t tell anyone, but I was, I was having a _bad_ day one time, and Minato-sensei, to cheer me up, said that she knew there was a trans Hokage, and I asked her which one and she pointed to herself—“ Kakashi laughed “—and I asked Lady Kushina and she said yeah, she wasn’t kidding just for me. And she didn’t tell anyone because the council would have beheaded her or something.”

  
“Sexist bastards, every last one of em,” Tsume told him definitively, bending over to kiss Kakashi on the forehead.

“I don’t know why I told you. I think I didn’t want to be the only living person who knew.”

  
“That’s okay kid. If it were me I wouldn’t want that information to die either. I’m glad you told me.” Naruto, as if to agree, yawned and reached upward with tiny fingers.

Tsume gasped exaggeratedly. “Is our little pup waking up?” She opened her little eyes, taking in the first home she ever occupied. Her eyes are a mix of Minato’s and Kushina’s.

  
Hana came back with a onesie patterned with tiny red paws and a cloth diaper. Tsume laid Naruto out to clothe her and sent Kakashi for a wet towel to clean the blood off.

“It is unforgivable nobody even gave you a diaper,” Tsume crooned to Naruto, not within Kakashi’s earshot just in case it was his ignorance that led to that decision. She had a feeling it wasn’t. “Have you eaten anything, little Naruto?” Naruto screamed. “Okay, we’re gonna feed you, don’t worry.”

  
Kakashi came back and cleaned Naruto off as Tsume muscled out of her vest and unbuttoned her shirt. “Hana. Are you ready to go to sleep yet?”

  
She looked from her mother to Kakashi to the baby. “There’s nothing else you need help with?”

  
“We’re good. It’s late, baby. Go brush your teeth and I’ll come tuck you in in ten minutes.”

  
She nodded, then left. Tsume turned her attention back to feeding Naruto.

  
“You’re going to have to talk to Lord Third tomorrow,” Kakashi told her.

  
Tsume groaned. “That old windbag’s gonna lecture me about things he doesn't understand while insulting my marital status and objectifying my kids, isn't he.”

  
Kakashi hummed. “Is there anything I can get you?”

  
“Not tonight. She can sleep in Kiba’s bassinet until we can get her another cradle.”

  
Something scratched at the door. Kakashi stood to let two more tumbling puppies in. Tsume gasped. “My puppies! Look, we gained another member of the family!”

  
The puppies jumped onto the couch to examine Naruto, prodding her with their noses and rubbing her with their muzzles. “She's too little to give you all cuddles, come here babies,” and the matriarch gathered them into her one free arm.

  
Kakashi, meanwhile, stayed by the door.

  
“Do you want to stay the night here?” Tsume asked.

  
“Nah. I should make sure Gai’s okay.”

  
Tsume chuckled. “That’s very good of you, cousin. You should come by tomorrow though, we'll likely have a clan meeting. Lots to be decided.”

  
“I'll see if I can. There will be a lot to clean up and they'll probably need all hands on deck.”

  
“Okay. I'll see you around.”

  
“Goodnight, auntie.” And he disappeared into the humid night air.

  
Tsume reclined, pushing one of the puppies lightly off the couch in the process. “Where's Kuromaru?”

  
“Out,” said one.

  
“Being a hero,” smiled another.

  
Tsume grinned. “Good. I'll get you guys a treat, how about that?”

  
Three tails wagged.

  
Tsume detached herself from Naruto, who promptly began to wail. "Shhh," she told her, bouncing up and down lightly. She fed the dogs, then walked down the hallway to kiss her daughters goodnight. She moved the bassinet to her room and laid down to nurse, because her mewling little bundle was still hungry.

  
11:15 and Tsume’s head hit the headboard. Tomorrow was going to be torture, from the visit to The Hokage to meeting with the family to decide how to raise the new child, to the vigil sure to be held in memory of the fallen soldiers.

  
Tsume sat up to bend over Naruto. “I love you, baby. I love you and your mamas loved you too, so, so much. I'm gonna take good care of you for them."

  
Naruto opened her gums in a yawn. Tsume lifted her to her shoulder to burp her before putting her down. The puppies took their places, one at the door, one in the girls’ room and one at the foot of Tsume’s bed as she rehearsed her speeches for the next day in her head. 


	2. The Fight and the Funeral

“I’m going to give you your options. I will adopt Naruto, or the Uchiha will. The Hyuuga will not take her, and I doubt the Aburames want her. The big three all have kids or are going to have kids, so you could pass them on to them if you really want, but nobody knew Minato and Kushina like Mikoto and I did. So it’s myself or the Uchihas.”

Lord Third sat back in his chair, smoking that pipe that irritated her sensitive nose. “There’s also the orphanage, where she could live until she’s old enough to support herself, and that way we can keep an eye on her and she could live freely without the influence of any clan.”

He hadn’t even listened to her. She let the anger run through her system before speaking again. “That won’t foster love for her country, Lord Third. It would be wiser to have her raised with a family loyal to the Leaf and the Daimyo.”

No ‘I think.’ No room for anything other than what she wanted, when what she wanted was to give a child a better life than growing up as soon as she could walk.

One of the advisors, a man with one eye covered who reeked like decay, coughed, and he and Hiruzen exchanged a glance. Hiruzen knew what he was thinking, if the choice was between Inuzuka and Uchiha for village loyalty then the choice was obvious. The Hokage looked back at Tsume and Naruto. “The child will be under constant surveillance,” not just by you, his voice implied, “but you make a good point, it could be best for her to have at least one parent” Tsume spat at him in her mind “to instill our values into her.” As if that wasn’t the clearest revelation in history. She would have been shocked Asuma turned out as well adjusted as he was if it wasn’t just as clear that Hiruzen had no hand in raising him. “Will she be put in the books as Inuzuka Naruto?”

Don’t be stupid, Tsume wanted to yap. “Uzumaki Naruto.”

Lord Third adjusted himself in his chair again. “Very well. You should be aware, we have decided she should not be aware of who her parents were.”

That’s stupid. Every word out of their mouths drove them further into pillowy idiocy, farther above her so her vocal arrows couldn’t reach them even if she could talk back, release the ever tightening bow string inside her. “Very well,” she echoed. “Her father was my cousin Kakashi’s teacher and nothing more. Her mother was my and Mikoto’s best friend who I won’t ever stop loving.”

Hiruzen gazed through her. He could tell she was feeling something, like how a zookeeper observes an animal and tells an audience what its next move will be, not like he was a human who could also feel anger and passion and love. They were different species. “I believe, for now, I can leave all other decisions to you. Just remember, Miss Inuzuka, you are a shinobi of the Leaf, and you will honor what we talked about here today.”

“Yes sir,” she nodded, spun on her heel, and left.

Kakashi and Hana waited outside for her with Kuromaru, Pakkun, and a stroller that held Naruto and Kiba. Or it did, when she walked in. Now Kakashi sat with his back against the building, cradling Naruto, as Hana held a bottle to her mouth. All heads turned to Tsume.

Her painted lips curled into a smile. “Good news, kids, she’s all ours.”

Hana dropped the bottle and jumped up into her mother’s arms, hugging her as tightly as she could. The dogs’ tails wagged, and Kakashi looked relieved. Naruto smiled. Kiba took that moment to cry, to which they allowed themselves a moment to laugh.

***

The memorial took place that night. There was an enormous new stone added to the graveyard and dead were laid to rest in family plots all over. Kushina and Minato’s coffins were centerpieces, and where the most people lingered. The reinstated Hokage stood poised over the polished redwood and said all the things expected of him, and nothing more.

Tsume sighed. It was hard to breathe among all the people. One hand held Naruto, and the other held Hana’s hand. She held her sling and in it her sister, and Kuromaru stood beside her in case she needed a break from the comparatively heavy weight. Kakashi and Gai had been moved by the crowd, Tsume had just the vaguest scent of an idea that they were still nearby.

She could finally fill her lungs when she sensed a cool presence to her left.

Mikoto Uchiha had shouldered through the crowd in a similar predicament to Tsume, with a baby in one hand and a five-year-old in the other. If their hands had been the barest bit more free, they would have found each other and twined their fingers together for comfort.

“How are you doing, babe?”

“I’m managing.”

Itachi tugged his hand away from Mikoto and went to stand next to Hana. He whispered things to her like he did when they played together. He’s such a good big brother to her, he’ll be wonderful to Sasuke, Tsume had said.

Mikoto hugged Tsume with her free arm. She looked over Tsume’s shoulder at the baby and her chakra spiked as sharingan glowed in her eyes.

“You can see her any time, is this really the day you want to remember for the rest of your life?”

“Life is short,” she responded. “If not now then when?”

“Oh, baby.” Tsume laid her head on Mikoto’s. “How’s Sasuke?”

“Good. Growing like a weed, and eating like a monster.”

Tsume hummed. “So’s Naruto. I hope I have enough milk for both of them, I might have to start buying formula to supplement.”

Mikoto shook her head. “Don’t do that! Let me take her when your milk’s exhausted.”

“Babe, I won’t do that to you. I can handle them. How’s your house?”

Another shake of her head. “One of the walls was completely destroyed. We’re staying with family.”

“Oh honey. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Itachi helped.”

Tsume wasn’t sure what that meant, but that was okay.

“Are you going to stay the night with Minato and Kushina?”

“Nah.” Tsume motioned discreetly to Kakashi, who had reappeared in her line of vision. He stood motionless at the head of Minato’s coffin, Gai hanging off him like a cape. “They’re going to stay for all of us. I’ve got kids to put to sleep, after all.”

Mikoto nodded. She seemed to retreat into herself for a second, the reality of the situation washing over her in waves. “Do you think you can take one more?”

Tsume looked at Sasuke, and nodded. “Of course, doll. Do you want me to take Itachi too?”

At the mention of his name the young boy looked up.

Mikoto brushed a lock of midnight hair behind his ear. “Do you want to spend the night at Tsume’s, Itachi?”

“No, I want to stay with you.” He shifted back over to her and hugged her around her hips. Mikoto hugged him to her.

Not too long after, Hana’s adrenaline was running out and she began nodding off.

Mikoto told Itachi to stay by Kakashi and Gai, that she would be right back. Tsume guided her family and Mikoto to the edge of the crowd and shifted the parties so that Kuromaru held Kiba and Hana held Sasuke, and then sent them ahead, she’d be with them in just a minute.

Wreathed in shadow, the mothers stood together. Naruto hung snug between them, and for a moment all eyes were on her. Mikoto bent to kiss her head and when she rose there were tears in her eyes.

“I know you’re going to be the best mother there could be without them Tsume,” she struggled to tell her. “I can’t--I want them back so badly and they’re hardly even gone.”

Tsume held her tightly. In the shadows Itachi wouldn’t see her cry. It might look good for a frail matriarch to cry at an event such as this, but she wouldn’t dare do that in front of her child.

“I appreciate the vote of confidence, Mika. But she’s as much yours as she is mine, I won’t leave you out even if she has to live at my house.”

Mikoto looked up at her, barely seeing anything but an outline of hair and the glimmer of lip gloss, but it was enough. She pushed up and kissed her.

Tsume caught her before gravity did. Her hand grabbed around for the other woman’s. “Come home with me.”

“I need to be here,” she said weakly, so Tsume smacked her one hand into her other.

“Come with me. I won’t take no for an answer.”

So it came to pass that Mikoto had two memories of that night. In one her face glowed in candlelight beside her family and the shining dead. In the other she leaned on Tsume’s strong frame, looking down on the tiny blonde baby nestled between two larger, darker haired ones and musing about how they would all be best friends. In bed her back arched into Tsume’s torso, a hairy arm wrapped securely around her waist, broad hips pushed against hers. They reminisced about Kushina and Minato until Tsume’s fingernails carding through her hair lulled her to sleep.

***

To Tsume’s surprise, Mikoto wasn’t cool to the touch, after not too long she was warm like a fur coat. So warm, in fact, that she noticed the second she was gone, in the dark hours of the morning. Tsume’s lips still felt Mikoto’s against them. A wonderful distraction. If only she could tell Kushina, she would get a kick out of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn't plan for Tsume and Mikoto to kiss? it just happened?? oy hfjghk
> 
> i conveniently don't even mention fugaku. im not advocating for cheating i promise
> 
> Shoutout to eternal_lightnighboy29 because I would not have been pushed to finish this chapter without your comment. Thank you for writing Naruto trans stories too because it was really lonely when it seemed like I was the only one. <3
> 
> I will try to post the next chapter quicker! It is already mostly finished, it just needs some filling in.
> 
> ok so ^^that didn't happen, big sorry, but i have a trans naruto discord here: https://discord.gg/WSNyBHX free for both adults and minors to join! if linking discords in archive notes is against archive policies pls tell me hjfgkcnjh
> 
> idk when the next chapter will be up but it's gai centric and shibi aburame is there bc I Love That Man


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